Will drinking beer once a week effect my weight loss goal?

Phill2488
Phill2488 Posts: 97 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For 6 days of the week I eat around 1300 calories a day and on Monday to Friday I do weightlifting and jogging. But on Saturday night I do like to go out with some friends and have a few beers. Will this effect my weight loss goals?

I hear that it's OK to have a cheat day so would it be OK to drink beer as part of my cheat day? And as anyone here lost weight while still drinking a few beers once a week?

Replies

  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    as long as its within your calories and stuff, i wouldnt worry :) just eat well all the other days of the week
  • cdfishe1
    cdfishe1 Posts: 4 Member
    As long as you count the calories you can drink or eat whatever you want, I think. I have a glass of red wine everyday. I count the calories, and I've been losing pretty steadily.
  • aliwhalen
    aliwhalen Posts: 150 Member
    I've lost 15 pounds so far and have a drink almost every night.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
    I am working bacon, beer and chocolate into my diet almost each and every day for a month while I lose weight and gain strength at the same time. However, I eat at least 2x your calories and I count it in my calories. I find "cheat days" are generally not a good idea: just work it in somehow.
  • jjplato
    jjplato Posts: 155 Member
    For me, alcohol seriously impacts my ability to lose weight, but that's if I'm having a beer or two every night. I don't think a few beers on Saturday is going to hurt you, especially if you make room for it within your calories. Just don't wind up at Waffle House at 2 AM after the bar closes...
  • smr011352
    smr011352 Posts: 1 Member
    I find that drinking any kind of alcohol makes me retain water. When I was 20, the water weight came off after a day or so. And I had no problem fitting beer into my diet. But now that I am 60, it takes about a week for the water weight to go away.

    However, I think drinking a few beers once a week (light beers?) can be fitted into your diet regimen as long as the water weight gain doesn't bother you.
    Suzy
  • ppzahka
    ppzahka Posts: 1 Member
    Everything you put in effects your weight loss goal no matter what it is. I drink beer in moderation a couple nights a week, and am going to a bachelor party this weekend. I'm sure I'll more than just a few there. Just don't do what i do which is lose track after a few. Also, its often not the beer that gets you, its the 3am pizza! Also, remember that a pint of beer is 16oz.. Also, whisky and hard liquor are way more calorie efficient than beers (even though i prefer beer), so you can get way more "bang for your buck" with those. Good luck!

    Paul
  • brirandle1
    brirandle1 Posts: 22 Member
    Phill:

    I have found in the past that if Iam trying to lose weight and watch my calories I did find with a cheat day I still lost weight as long as the other 6 days of the week I followed my good eating habits. Iam no health expert but I believe you should treat yourself a little and I used that one day of the week to do that. During my so called cheat day I found I did eat better than before I watched my calories out of habit but it was a nice treat to do that once a week and I still lost weight. Just make sure that one cheat day stays only 1 day. Enjoy life :)
  • Phill2488
    Phill2488 Posts: 97 Member
    Just calculated how many calories I would be having on my beer drinking day and it turns out that I'd be having 1710 calories. So I guess that's not too bad
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    It's NOT ok (or not ok) to have a cheat day. It's good to know what you're eating and how it affects your plans and outcomes - as long as it doesn't become mentally exhausting and unsustainable.

    A pro triathlete (I think Craig Alexander), was absolutely unable to stick to his plans if there was any food available. So there wasn't. He would go out and buy what he needed for breakfast, and eat it. He would go out and buy what he needed for lunch, and eat it. And so on. That's pretty extreme. Of course, he was very motivated and it paid off - he won the triathlon world championship. I don't recommend this to many people, though.

    Given the large amount of variability in our tracking regimes, my advice is keep your "cheat" tracked and just accept that some days you'll be over your planned calories, and see if that wrecks your plan. If it does, tighten the ship. If it doesn't, enjoy. The best predictor of outcome is the outcome itself.

    (just an example, and I think you just answered this, but drinking a beer "once a week" may mean a can, a pint, or a 24. Those would affect your plan differently, don't you think?).

    Best of luck!

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